A teenager was killed early Sunday morning in Rome after he was hit by a train.

According to Rome City Police, a group of teens were crossing the railroad tracks on East Callahan St. around 12:30 this morning. Witnesses report that a 16-year-old black male did not make it across the tracks in-time to beat an oncoming train.

The teenage victim has been identified as Malik Cortez-Lidal Johnson of Rome. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy Coroner Ernie Studard at 12:57am.

As the tracks were on private property, Norfolk Southern will perform an investigation of their own into the incident.